Automobile lock



Jan. 30, 1923.

J. J. POTTINGER.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK FILED APR.9, 192]- Patented Jan. 39, 1923.

u an a r n JOHN J. POTTINGER, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

nurorronrnn LOCK.

Application filed April 8, 1921. Serial No. 459,966.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Jenn Por'rruerln,

a citizen of the United Etate and a resident of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have made a new and useful invention to wit, Improvements in Automobile Locks; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear conelse and exact description of the same.

This invention relates particularly to an theft orevent've uaon the sup aortin col- .1. 1 l:

umn of steering wheels.

A further 0 ect is to PlOJlClQ a device of this character that will be superior in point of simplicity and inexpensivel ess of construction, positiveness of operation facility and convenience in use and general efficiency, as contrasted with any similar device. Other objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but'it is to be understood that the invention isinot limited to such form, because itmay be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

in the accompanying one-sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an automobile lock as constructed in accordance with my invention applied in operative position to the supporting column of a steering wheel of which a fragmentary portion is shown.

Figure 2 represents a front elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a plan view of Figure 1 with the arms of the steering wheel omitted. V

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through Figure 3 on the line i.

Figure 5 represents a sectional plan view through Figure 1 on the line 55.

Figure 6 represents a sectional detail. taken through Figure 3 onthe line 6-6.

1* gure 7 is a fragmentary detail of the 10(1I1I1g arm showing a portion thereof.

bigure 8 represents a modified form of locking arm in engagement with a modified type of steering wheel arm.

Figure 9 represents a still further modilied type of steering wheel engaging arm.

in detail the construction illustrated in the drawings comprises, an arm supporting casing 1 a steering column engaging member 2, and a spacer element 3 adaptedto be interposed between the steering column, collar 2 and the arm supporting casing 1, com bined and arranged to completely enclose all of the operating mechanism forattaching the device to the steering column. The arm supporting member is provided with an opening 4: passing laterally therethrough and with a cored depression 5 substantially in the center thereof through which a steering wheel spoke engaging memberis adapted to be freely slidable. Sockets 6 and 7 are provided in the face 8 of the member 1 by forming a depression slightly larger than the arm depression 5. The end 9 of the member 1 is drilled longitudinally for the purpose of providing a housing for the barrel of the cylinder 10 adapted to be securely mounted therein. The inner face 8 of the member 1 on the end 9 thereof is provided with a hook-shaped arm, projecting laterally relative to the face 8, leaving a socket de pression 11 between its end and the faceof the member 8, for the purpose to be hereinafter described in detail.

The spacer or bushing element '3 is pro vided with squared corners 12 and 13, respectively, that are adapted to seat within the sockets 6 and 7 formed in the face 8 of the arm supporting casing 1. The opposite face of the element 3 is adapted to project away from the plane of the surface 8 of the member 1 (when the respective parts are. mounted in co-operative position) and is formed with a radial curvature 1 1 substanp tially the same as that of a steering column to which it is to be applied. A gasket .15

of a resilient composition is adapted to be mounted within a groovel6 cored in the curved face 14E of the member 3 for the purpose of contacting with the eXter1orper1ph cry of the steering column when applied and tending to securely ii}: ,the position ofthe thereof adapted to engage a hole in the steering column and the head thereol projecting into the depression 5 formed in the casing 1. The upper and lower faces 18 and l9 oi the element 3 are adapted to partially overlap and cover the upper and lower faces of the member 1 to prevent any vertical movement the el ment 3 relative thereto, and to close the m eting faces of the assembled casing, bushing and element 2 to be hereina'iter mentioned.

A steering column engaging element is formed with the interior periphery thereol equal to the *ircumference the steering column about which it is to be mounted. is or cheapness in construction, it is preferable that the member 2 be cored out as at leaving the upper and lower lips and :32 formed on the desired 'adial contour and adapted to contact with the steering column. One end 23 or the element is provided with substantial, iinobular terminus that is adapted to within tl e socket ll of the hook 10 formed on the casing 1. in the opposite end of said member, holes 2% and engage companion projectting pins and extending from the face 8 oi' the arm casing 1. The end 2-6 of said iember 2 is also drilled so as to register with the opening t provided in the casing l and may be either threaded as shown, and a screw connecting member 28 mounted therein or a wedge pin may be Jassed through the hole 4 and into the registering opening.

aforementioned, and driven in so tightly :is to wedge the respective members into an immovable relation. The exposed end oi the pin would, as a matter of course, be smoothed oil flush with the outer face of the I and would thus prevent separation of the members 1 and 2. The element 2 is preterably made of substantially the same wioth as the casing 1, so that the meeting faces the respective elements will be covered bv the projecting surfaces 18 and 19 oi? the intermediate member 8.

In standardizing the construction oi the assembled lock, it has been found tiat the supporting casing 1 will always remain substantially of the same size and that by arranging the radial curvature of the opposing? faces of the collar 2 and element- 3 to fit the circumference to any steering: column, to which it is applied, it only becomes necessary to have the last named parts of differing diameters.

The arm member comprises an elon gated rectangular member, approximately oi" the same cross-sectional area as the depres sion 5 formed in the casing 1, and is adapted to slide vertically, within said depression, relative to the casing. Likewise the arm member may either be provided with a hook-- shaped end 31 shown in Figures l, 2 and 3' for passing over and clamping down upon eas es an arm or? a steering wheel or it may be pro 'ided with an end adapted to progect between the spok s or a steering wheel, or into a si ale channel shaped spoke as shown in Figure 8, or further modified in the shape i? a yoke adapted to straddle one or said mentioned spokes, as shown in Figure 1811i} of the other and that each would iunction in substantia the same n The I the zilni o0 adapted. to sli a in the is proviied with a groove or de- 3" therein for the purpose of freely assing;- the head of the screw l7 secured in the element 3 so that the ver ti l love n ent cf the 30 is limited by the head of the screw it abutting the upper and lower ends or the said groove 32. The arm 30, on inner face thereof is provided with a pair of spaced substantially semi-oircuhir oper es and therein for the purpose to be hereinafter described iii-detail.

'ng; the apparatus on the Sb8llilggf r on automobile, the casing l is first by the operator and the arm the depression 5 so that the groove races outwardly. The element 3 would next be placed in contact with the race 8 of the casin 1 so that the corners l2 and 13 in the sockets 6 and 7 and the cover members 18 and. 19 would extend over the upperand lower faces of the casing l. The assembled casing arm and element- "T'Ollltl then be placed in contact with the eX- circumference of the steering column 1e gasket 16 of the element 3 in contact the said column. 9 of the The end 2o 2 would then be placed within the of the casing l and moved radially i her 2 in contact with the 1C6 8 ol' the casing; member 1. The 'e members 2 and 3 would approximately ext nd around the entire circumference or" the column and snugly engage the The locli pin 28 would then be passed. through the pening in the casing to the companion registering openmember inp; in the menu or in which position the same would be tightly wedged to a rigid fit to prevent any lateral movement of the members 1 and relative to each other or vertically relative to the steering column.

In the normal inoperative position, the arm 30 would rest as shown by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 and could be fixedly maintained in such position by rotatinc the latch 40 in the barrel of the cylinder lO into engagement with the uppermost circular slot provided in the said arm 30. The 'latch portion 40 is semi-circular in cross-section and it is adapted to be moved messes out of Contact with the arm 30 by rotating the barrel through an arc of 180 degrees into a chaml er formed in the element in he unlocked position the face of the latch 0 would be in a position to contact with the grooved race of the arm 30. Assuming the. the spoire engaging arm 30 were in the u tted position shown in Figures 1 and :2 and it was desirable to prevent rotation of the steering wheel mounted on the steering column the latch 40 would be placed out of engagement with the arm 30 permitting the said arm to be manually elevated and placed in contact with a spoke of the movable steering wheel in which position tie operator would rotate the latch or the cylinder to en gage the same with the lowermost depression 36 in the arm member 230 thus locking the said i in the levated or operative position. l th reference to the modifications illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the arm would be raised and locked in the positions shown to prevent rotative movement of the steering wheel spokes. Vi hen the spoke engaging arm has been locked intoengagement therewith, it is impossible to rotate the wheel or to steer the automotive vehicle successfully. i

Raving thus described this invention what I claim and desire to secure by. Letters Patent is:

1. A theft preventive such as described comprising a member adapted to partially;

surround the steering column of an automobile; a casing adapted to be locked into engagement therewith; an arm slidably re-v tained in said casing and adapted to engage a steering wheel mounted on said column; a groove in said arm projection on said casing engaging said groove for limiting the sliding movement of said arm; and means for locking said arm in a plurality of positions relative to said wheel.

2. A theft preventive such as described comprising a member adapted to partially surround the steering column of an automobile; a casing adapted to be locked into engagement therewith; a bushing adapted to be interposed between said member and casing; a bolt in said bushing adapted tofixedly engage the steerin column and having the head thereof projecting away from said bushing; an arm slidably retained in said casing and adapted to have the end thereof engaging a steering wheel mounted on said column; a groove in said arm adapted to reand adapted to engagea steering wheel mounted on said column; a groove in said arm, a projection; on said casing engaging said groove for limiting the sliding movement or" said arm; and means for locking said'arm in a plurality of positions relative to said wheel. 1

ii:- A theft preventive such as described comprising a member adapted to partially surround the steering column of an automobile; a casing adapted to be'locked into ongagement therewith; a bushing adapted to be interposed'between said member and casing; an arm slidably retained in said casing and adapted to Y engage a steering wheel mounted on said column; means for locking said arm in a plurality of positions relative to said wheel and means on said bushing for limiting the vertical movement of said arm.

A. theft preventive such as described comprising a member adapted to partially surround the steering column of an automobile; a casing adapted to be demountably connected therewith; a bushing adapted to be interposed between said member and casing; an arm slidably retained in said casing and adapted to engage a steering wheel mounted on said column; a locking bolt on said casing and means for rotating said bolt into engagement with said arm for locking said arm in a plurality of positions relative to said wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my 7th day of March 1921. Joint J. Porrmena In presence of I LINCOLN V. J OHNSON.

hand at San Francisco, California, this 

